Most people these days choose to brine their turkeys to ensure a tender juicy breast. It also gives you a little wiggle room in case you forget about your turkey and it ends up in the oven a little too long. Your two choices are either a wet or dry brine. With a wet brine, a salt and sugar solution is mixed with water and placed in a large bucket. The turkey is then submerged in the solution for several days. We prefer the dry brine method for it’s obvious ease in storing the bird. You just salt it and place it in the refrigerator for several days before you plan on cooking it (one day is fine, but we prefer 2-3 days). As a general rule, we use about ¾ of a tsp of Omnivore Limone per pound of turkey.

Loosen the skin under the turkey breast with your fingers. Rub Limone under the breast and all over the turkey. Place on a rack over a sheet tray and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let the bird come to room temperature and loosely stuff with freshly made stuffing. Combine the sage and butter and rub all over the skin and under the breast as well.

Pre-heat your oven to 500°F, place the turkey in the oven and reduce the heat to 300°F.

Roast your turkey until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F in the breast and 165°F in the thigh, about 3-4 hours. Then, let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.

While the turkey is resting, simmer the turkey neck in the stock until you have 4 cups. Discard the neck.

For the gravy: make a roux by melting butter over low heat in a small pan, add the flour, and cook for 3 minutes and cool.

While the turkey is resting, remove it from the pan to make the gravy. Pour off any drippings and try to remove as much fat as possible, then place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the dripping back to the pan along with the stock and bring to a simmer. With a whisk try to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, add the roux whisking constantly. Simmer the gravy until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Season with Omnivore Salt to taste.